4 Killed in Head-On Crash in Minnesota

Published 8:00 pm, Saturday, May 3, 2003

A car crossed a highway divider and crashed head-on into two minivans traveling side by side, killing five people and injuring two others, authorities said.

The driver of the car and three people in one of the minivans were pronounced dead at the scene southeast of St. Paul. A fourth person from the van died later.

The crash Saturday night was so violent that the car's engine was thrown back into the median, said Department of Public Safety spokesman Kevin Smith. He said authorities had not yet determined the cause.

"The weather was fine. It was a beautiful night," he said. "It's a four-lane open road. It could be any of a number of things."

Police identified the four victims in the van as Mark and Nancy Tackabury, both 44, of Welch, their 14-year-old daughter, whose name was not released, and Dorothy Ann Jones, 70.

The driver of the car was Bruce Lee Vue, 20, of St. Paul.

The only passenger in the car remained hospitalized Sunday in critical condition. The driver of the second van suffered minor injuries.